Cost of living in San Jose
San Jose, Costa Rica
compared to
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Cost of living in San Jose vs. Costa Rica overall average
San Jose is 4.8% more expensive than Costa Rica overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 3.8% more in San Jose
- Groceries
-
pay 10.0% more in San Jose
- Transportation
-
pay 4.4% less in San Jose
- Housing
-
pay 4.2% less in San Jose
- Childcare
-
pay 6.8% more in San Jose
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 6.3% more in San Jose
- Clothing
-
pay 15.4% more in San Jose
The cost of clothing, groceries, childcare, entertainment and sports, and restaurants in San Jose are more expensive than in Costa Rica. Expenses including transportation and housing are lower in San Jose.
San Jose Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$10.83
CRC5,439.75
|
$7.77
-
$19.43
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.72
CRC4,880.67
|
$9.33
-
$10.69
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.99
CRC1,001.40
|
$1.55
-
$2.92
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.46
CRC733.80
|
$1.17
-
$2.33
|
San Jose - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.60
CRC1,304.20
|
$1.21
-
$4.28
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$4.26
CRC2,142.07
|
$2.50
-
$5.83
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$7.23
CRC3,632.72
|
$5.15
-
$8.83
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.26
CRC1,638.67
|
$1.94
-
$5.44
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.41
CRC2,213.34
|
$2.20
-
$4.85
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.95
CRC979.73
|
$1.23
-
$2.91
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.63
CRC316.56
|
$0.26
-
$0.91
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.59
CRC799.13
|
$0.91
-
$2.64
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.35
CRC677.11
|
$0.71
-
$1.76
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.30
CRC652.70
|
$0.48
-
$1.91
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.19
CRC598.19
|
$0.88
-
$1.59
|
San Jose - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$5.49
CRC2,756.39
|
$4.97
-
$5.85
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$38.02
CRC19,098.29
|
??
-
$97.17
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$36,925.49
CRC18,546,556.93
|
$30,706.46
-
$40,000.00
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$15.94
CRC8,006.74
|
$12.24
-
$17.94
|
San Jose - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$53.59
CRC26,918.97
|
$38.87
-
$81.62
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$742.08
CRC372,724.00
|
$404.89
-
$1,200.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$463.60
CRC232,852.93
|
$340.10
-
$700.00
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$63.06
CRC31,670.92
|
$29.72
-
$89.17
|
San Jose - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$521.49
CRC261,929.44
|
$388.69
-
$699.64
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$12,425.72
CRC6,241,062.04
|
$9,717.23
-
$19,018.57
|
San Jose - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.92
CRC1,464.20
|
$1.94
-
$5.00
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.69
CRC1,854.03
|
$2.14
-
$6.80
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$5.05
CRC2,537.95
|
$4.28
-
$5.44
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$59.70
CRC29,986.04
|
$38.87
-
$100.00
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$9.72
CRC4,880.67
|
$7.77
-
$10.00
|
San Jose - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$73.59
CRC36,960.11
|
$50.00
-
$100.00
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$50.81
CRC25,521.52
|
$40.00
-
$68.02
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$125.98
CRC63,277.74
|
$97.17
-
$145.76
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$117.31
CRC58,923.14
|
$87.46
-
$150.00
|
San Jose - Cost of clothing
Tip: Try viewing our aggregate cost of living in Costa Rica
to see the average cost of cities throughout Costa Rica, like
Jaco Beach,
Santa Ana,
Tamarindo,
Curridabat,
San Jose,
and more.
For a detailed breakdown of Santa Cruz vs. the national average, see the cost of living in Costa Rica compared to San Jose.
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